Your New Jersey employer is responsible for your health and safety on the job. Still, all too many workers suffer from industrial accidents, especially those related to forklifts, because their employers are too negligent to provide appropriate training or safety measures. In fact, forklift accidents are among the most common injurious mishaps in today’s industrial workplace, which is why your employer should take steps to protect you and your coworkers.
Victims often suffer serious injury because they do not understand the principles of forklift physics and mechanics. You may have been injured because a forklift driver tipped the vehicle over. No matter whether you were behind the wheel — or you simply happened to be nearby — many of these tip-over accidents could be prevented through appropriate work procedures and training. Drivers should be trained about how to keep their loads stable so they do not harm themselves or another warehouse worker.
Further, victims may be endangered by irresponsible coworkers who are not disciplined by management when they engage in horseplay or irresponsible driving. You deserve a safe working environment — that cannot be facilitated in a space that allows this type of negligent activity. Your employer should be held accountable for failing to enforce simple polices about responsibility and horseplay in the workplace.
Even the most fastidious managers still make mistakes, though, and these may have led to your forklift accident and injury. Instead of taking the settlement that the insurance company offers right off the bat, consider the advice of a workers’ compensation representative. You deserve full compensation for your injury. You may even be eligible for workers’ compensation if your employer argues that the accident is your fault! Do not let yourself be hoodwinked by unfair insurance companies; instead, pursue the full amount that you deserve for medical costs, lost wages and disability.